


Beneath The Facade

by AmandaHawthorn



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 06:08:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14158458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmandaHawthorn/pseuds/AmandaHawthorn
Summary: Carol tossed the towel onto the worktop and moved closer towards him. She loved this man with every ounce of her being, and to see him like this, so agitated and obviously embarrassed…she wanted to go and find whoever had upset him and rip their throat clean out.





	Beneath The Facade

**Author's Note:**

> Walking dead doesn't belong to me unfortunately, but if they did, Caryl would happened way before now!
> 
> My response to the nine lives Caryl bingo challenge
> 
> Bed sharing, fake dating, virgin Daryl, 17 seconds, first time

“You’ve gotta help me,” the desperation in Daryl’s voice caused a certain amount of worry to surge through Carol’s mind and she quickly rinsed her hands under the tap in the kitchen.

 

“Okay, slow down,” she told him as she grabbed a towel to dry her hands. “What’s wrong?”

 

Daryl shook his head and lowered his gaze down to his feet. He hadn’t expected to feel so flustered, or so completely terrified all in one moment. Embarrassment flooded his cheeks and no matter how much he tried to shake it off, he couldn’t seem to forget the way Jesus had accosted him when he walked over to him with Aaron by his side. Daryl was just minding his own damn business; cleaning his bike and enjoying some quiet for a change. It all happened so fast that he’d just sat there, opening and closing his mouth like some blithering idiot...

 

“It’s so fucked up,” he groaned, pacing back and forth as he spoke. “I ain’t even _like_ that.”

 

Carol tossed the towel onto the worktop and moved closer towards him. She loved this man with every ounce of her being, and to see him like this, so agitated and obviously embarrassed…she wanted to go and find whoever had upset him and rip their throat clean out.

 

“Tell me,” she urged, her voice soft when she reached out to lay her hand over his arm, halting his pacing, and keeping him still. “Whatever it is…”

 

“Jesus, _he_ fuckin’ asked me on a date…” the words flew from his mouth in a rush, his head lifting to search her eyes. “ _Me_...I ain’t no _queer_.”

 

Despite his obvious turmoil, Carol couldn’t stop the small chuckle from slipping from her lips. Shaking her head, she stepped in a little closer and rubbed his arm as she met his mortified gaze. “So...what did you say to him?”

 

Daryl huffed out a frustrated sigh and turned away from her, instantly missing the warmth of her hand. How the hell did this happen? Why the _hell_ did Jesus think he was like _that_ anyway?

 

“What the fuck could I say? I just stood there like a fuckin’ idiot before I...I...uh…”

 

“You what?” she asked softly as she moved closer towards him again, dipping her head a little to catch his eyes. “Daryl?”

 

“I kinda told him you and me were…” shaking his head, he tried to hide the flush that was blooming rapidly over his cheeks, but no matter how he looked at it, this situation was just getting worse. “’M sorry...I just didn’t know what else to do.”

 

“So out of all the women in Alexandria, you chose me?” she asked, her lips lifting into a warm smile. “You really _did_ have had to do some quick thinking there, didn’t you Pookie!”

 

Daryl was prepared for her to be angry at him for placing her in a position she hadn’t asked for...but she was looking at him with amusement, confusing the hell out of him. “Why ain’t ya yellin’ at me or somethin?”

 

“Why?” she grinned, shaking her head incredulously. “Because this helps me too. I’ve been trying to avoid Tobin for so long that I was running out of excuses to tell him why I couldn’t meet him for dinner.”

 

“So, ya don’t mind?”

 

“No,” she chuckled. “I’m flattered...honestly, not many of the men around here would even think of me as their fake... _whatever_ I am…”

 

“Sure they would,” he told her, his shyness dispersing with his need to reassure her. He hated it when she didn’t regard herself as attractive; she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. “Yer was the first one I thought of.”

 

“I was?” Carol’s eyes sparkled with warmth and she suddenly felt her spirits lift just a little higher.

 

“Yeah...uh…” bouncing on his heels nervously he glanced at her, hiding behind his long fringe. “So...ya don’t mind...this... _this_ okay?”

 

“Well how hard can it be?” she asked him softly as she reached out to squeeze his forearm. “We’ve just got to smile and pretend...shouldn’t be too hard to pull it off. He’ll be gone soon, so it doesn’t matter anyway.”

 

“Okay…” Daryl nodded, feeling himself relax a little when she seemed to be taking this so well. “But...what about Tobin? He ain’t gonna be goin’ nowhere.”

 

“ _Shit_ …” taking her hand from his arm, she stood back with a sigh, she’d totally forgotten about Tobin. “Well...maybe when word gets around he’ll just accept it and move on.”

 

“Yeah maybe,” he nodded thoughtfully. “So, we’re good?”

 

“We’re good,” she grinned beautifully before the smile slowly faded when she realised a fatal flaw in their plan. “Problem is, when you find someone you _do_ actually want to be with...if they think you’re with me…”

 

“ _What?_ ” he asked a little too quickly, trying desperately to reel his emotions back in. How could she even think he could ever be interested in anyone other than her? “Not gonna be no problem.”

 

“You say that now,” she sighed. “But when someone comes into your life and…”

 

“Staaap,” he chortled, making light of the situation to make her stop talking. “Ain’t gonna be no…”

 

The words he was going to say died on his lips when the front door opened to reveal Rick, stomping through the hall. Daryl turned his head, nodding a greeting to his brother but froze, panic coursing through his whole body when he saw who was trailing behind them.

 

“Hey,” Jesus beamed, his eyes leaving Rick to filter across to the gruff looking redneck who had gravitated towards the woman beside him. “I...I’m sorry about before.”

 

Rick looked up in confusion, his eyes growing wide when he saw how closely Daryl was standing to Carol. The two of them often occupied the same space, but something about them was a little...strange...but before he could ask what was wrong, Daryl was tripping over his own feet in a bid to get away.

 

“S’nothin’,” Daryl groused, not really knowing what he should do to stave off the unwanted attention from his brother and Jesus. “I...gotta finish…”

 

“Hold on, I wanted to run something by you before you go,” Rick cut in, stopping him in his tracks. “Jesus is going to be staying in Alexandria for a few days. I was gonna ask if you’d mind him sharing your room while he’s here. We’ve got that single mattress we can put on the floor…I was gonna ask Carl, but his room is too small...”

 

“Uh...I…” Daryl’s eyes widened in alarm, but before he could even formulate any kind of reply, Carol’s voice echoed throughout the room.

 

“That’s not a problem, Daryl’s been staying with me. So Jesus can have his bed,” she announced, saying it as if it was something they announced every day. Ignoring the gaping mouths of both Daryl and Rick, she stepped towards the man before her, making sure she made their charade as believable as possible. Reaching out, she caught Daryl’s hand, causing him to suddenly stop and look back at her. His startled eyes grew even wider when he realised she was leaning in closer. He tried to prepare for the contact, telling himself it was all an act, but when her lips pressed against his he was totally unprepared for the surge of heat that coursed right through his body. He stayed stock still, almost whimpering with the contact...it was only a soft kiss, lasting no more that seventeen seconds, yet it sent tingles all the way down to his toes.

 

Carol could feel the spark between them, but she withdrew from his lips before he could feel how much she craved him. Stepping back a little, she smiled up at him when he stood there watching her with slightly glazed eyes, and she thought he had never looked more adorable that he did right now..

 

“Don’t forget about after dinner,” she told him, hoping she could break him out of his stupor. “You promised we could take a walk tonight remember.”

 

Daryl eyed her nervously but the smile in her eyes calmed his worries and he found himself playing along with her ruse. “I ain’t forgot. We’ll go right out afterwards, someone else can do the cleanin’ for once.”

 

Stepping back from her, he turned to look at the former sheriff who was still watching them, his eyes caught between shock and incredulous delight. Rick nodded numbly, agreeing to kitchen duties before he realised what he was doing; still caught up in the new development within their family.

 

“Yeah...we’ll all do it brother, we’ll…” shaking his head, his eyes flitting between the two of them, totally floored by what he was witnessing. “When…?”

 

“Call yourself a sheriff Rick?” Carol chided, her wide grin causing him to guffaw in response. Ignoring him, she turned back towards her blushing redneck, and noted how the glare he’d held had slowly disappeared to be replaced with something else. She wanted to kiss him again but she held herself back, instead choosing to hold her palm against his chest.

 

“I’ll...see ya later…” Daryl muttered, stumbling over his words when he was caught between needing to stay with her and wanting to flee.

 

“You will,” she beamed, watching him as he turned away and left the house before she could say another word. Her lips still tingled, but she shook herself out of her reverie and looked towards their guest, smiling warmly, welcoming him into their home.

 

000

 

Later that night, Carol ushered Daryl into her room and closed the door shut behind her. Turning the key in the lock, she jumped a little when the loud click seemed to taunt her. She knew this was something new and terrifying for both of them. All she had done so far with Daryl for the fake relationship, was kiss briefly once, and hold hands twice. She knew that tonight was just going to be about them nervously watching each other. She would be in the bed because he would insist on sleeping on the floor...but to everyone else outside these walls, the two of them were sharing a bed while making love all night long. The whole thing was just so hopeless. He didn’t want to be here, she knew that. He was stiff and jittery, and she tried not to let his reaction to her touch, hurt, but even though this was all one big charade, her battered heart couldn’t take another rejection.

 

“I’m really sorry I did this to you,” her voice was soft as she spoke, trying to pluck up the courage to turn around. “When Rick said Jesus was staying, I just…”

 

“It’s alright,” the softness in his voice brought Carol to her senses and she slowly turned around to face him. Daryl noticed how she stayed close to the door, seeming unsure of how they were going to handle being locked in a room together all night.

 

“If you want,” her voice was hesitant and soft. “I could stay with Judith…”

 

“No...don’t…” swallowing hard, Daryl sighed heavily and rubbed his hand across his face. They were adults for crying out loud, they should be able to handle sleeping in the same room. Looking back towards the bed, he gestured for her to sit down with him on the edge of the mattress.

 

Regardless of how confident she’d pretended to be before, this situation had every single one of Carol’s nerves on edge. It shouldn’t be so hard to pretend to be together, especially when everyone just seemed to accept it, as if it had always been that way. It helped their ruse, and it helped the two of them keep their unwanted suitors at bay, but it was still so...terrifying. She watched him tentatively for a few more moments before she slowly moved towards the bed and lowered herself down to sit beside him.

 

“I can sleep on the floor,” he offered, already looking at the plush carpet beneath his feet.

 

“No, don’t do that,” she told him, albeit a little too quickly. “It’s a big bed, we can share.”

 

For a few moments he seemed to be torn, and she was half expecting him to flee, but to her surprise he didn’t. Instead he just nodded silently as he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth.

 

“I...it’s just I ain’t never done this, shared a bed with anyone before,” his soft voice was hesitant and unsure, and he shifted, nervously trying his best to avoid her eyes. “Except with Merle when we were kids...but that don’t count.”

 

“Well I only shared a bed with Ed before,” Carol told him with a warm smile. “So it’s a first for both of us.”

 

“A first?”

 

“Yeah,” she scoffed. “I’ll be sharing a bed with someone I _actually_ like!”

 

The snort that sounded from Daryl’s nose caused the two of them to erupt into a fit of giggles. They bumped shoulders when their laughter slowly petered away and the air between them seemed to crackle with static energy. Their eyes met and held, neither one really knowing who moved first, but one moment they were looking at each other in wonderment, and the next…

 

His mouth met hers, allowing her to take the lead as she drew him into their first real kiss. His whole body was trembling when she opened her mouth beneath his, drawing him in closer. He gasped when her tongue slipped into his mouth to bump against his, causing him to release a soft groan that started somewhere deep down inside his throat. He was shaking and trying to keep his hands still, not quite knowing what he was supposed to be doing...but when she slowly pushed him down to lay flat onto the mattress, he broke the kiss, gasping for breath.

 

“Is this okay?” she asked a little belatedly, noting how he was watching her with apprehension in his eyes. When he didn’t answer her right away, she took his silence as a rejection and started to slowly pull away, embarrassment flooding her cheeks. “I should have asked before I...sorry…”

 

“Nah, ain’t that,” he whispered, his hand reaching out to stop her before she could move away. “It’s...just...I ain’t...ah hell…”

 

“Hey I haven’t had sex in a long time either,” she told him softly, hoping she could reassure him, but when he wouldn’t look at her, she raised herself up on her elbow to peer down at him. Suddenly she realised that she’d practically thrown herself at him, and he was making it pretty clear that he didn’t want her that way. Scrambling to sit back up, she shifted towards the edge of the mattress, thankful that she hadn’t embarrassed him further by stripping off her clothes. She was in such a rush that she didn’t realise that he’d sat up beside her, and watching her with just as much anguish. “Oh...I... _I’m_ so sorry...I thought you...but, _god_ I’m so stupid...I keep forgetting this is all...I’m gonna go and…”

 

_“No!”_

 

Carol stopped moving, his voice leaving her frozen while she waited for his inevitable rejection. “It’s okay, Daryl. You don’t have to be polite...I know I’m not…”

 

“I ain’t ever _had_ sex before,” he blurted, his face instantly blushing crimson with embarrassment. “ _Shit_...this is... _fuck_...I’mma gonna go…”

 

“ _No_...please, don’t,” Carol gasped out, catching hold of his arm before he could pull himself off the bed. “Stay...it’s okay…”

 

“I…”

 

“I’ve only ever had sex with one man,” reaching out, she squeezed his fingers. “But I’ve never made love before... _maybe_...if you _want_ to...it could be a first time...for both of us?”

 

“Ya still want to? Even now ya know I’m...?”

 

“You’re a virgin?” she asked in a whisper. “Yes...especially now I know...if... _if_ you do?”

 

Daryl’s eyes flittered to hers, before he nodded his head, still unsure of what he was supposed to do, now he was finally here. “You’ll have to tell me what ya like...I ain’t…”

 

“Shh…” she smiled as she descended on him again and pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss before pulling away again. “We’ll learn together, just you and me, okay?”

 

When he grunted his approval, he allowed her to lower both of them back onto the bed, trying desperately to stop his body from shaking. Instead he followed her lead, letting her take his hands to guide them beneath her top to lay them over her breasts. His heart was hammering inside his chest. The sensations of squeezing her soft mounds sent a surge of heat straight to his groin. He shuddered when she shifted onto her back, bringing him with her as she kept her hands on his over her breasts. Squeezing his fingers in reassurance, she eased her hands from his to ease her top up awkwardly before snagging it off and over her head. Tossing the top to the side, she smiled up at him shyly as she reached behind her to unclasp her bra before she helped him ease the lacy material from her body, revealing herself to him for the first time.

 

Daryl’s breath stuttered in his chest and his mouth grew dry. His eyes darted to her breasts before his hands once again found her fleshy mounds, his thumb brushing over one of her nipples. When she gasped at his soft ministrations and raised herself higher, he squeezed again. His probing fingers became more confident with every soft gasp that escaped through her parted lips. He was learning her body as he explored, noting how she squirmed beneath his hands when he touched her a certain way. Her nipples peaked beneath his fingers and he watched in a gush of heated desire as she gasped out his name.

 

After a few moments, she reached for him blindly, encouraging him with soft words, that somehow had turned into desperate pleas. He watched her in wonder, his touch becoming even bolder until he needed to feel more of her. He wasn’t totally naive, he’d seen his fair share of tacky porno’s to know how all the parts worked, he’d just never had anyone he’d wanted to do this with before.

 

Her nipples beckoned to him, and he knew from second hand information from Merle, that women liked it _when ya suck on their sweet tits_. Merle’s voice echoed inside his head, but he quashed his brother’s brash words, instead choosing to follow his own instincts. Lowering his head, he hovered over one puckered nipple, his eyes darting up to her face to make sure she was still ok with this. What he saw made the blood rush straight to his dick. Her face was flushed and her mouth was slightly open as she gazed down at him with hooded eyes. She wanted him to do this...she wanted him...and that thought alone made him lower his mouth to swirl his tongue around one of the rosy peaks. She shuddered beneath him, urging him on with soft words, begging him to keep going. Needing no further encouragement, he sucked her nipple into his mouth and felt her whole body vibrating beneath his tongue.

 

Carol was gasping for breath. For a man who claimed to having not done this before, he was becoming really good at it. Within seconds she was coming apart in his arms, already feeling the heat building in her core. Needing to feel him, she slid her fingers beneath his shirt, caressing his taut stomach for a few heavenly moments before she unclasped his belt buckle. With fumbling fingers, she popped the button of his jeans, before she slipped her hand inside. She found him within seconds, hard and hot and straining into her touch as she wrapped her fingers around him.

 

Daryl gasped in a breath when he released her nipple with a loud pop before he moved his hands down to his jeans and helped her push them over his hips and thighs. Pulling away from her, he reluctantly sat up, already missing the feel of her warm hand around his cock, and toed off his boots before he pushed the confining material off of his legs to toss them onto the floor. He felt her shifting behind him and before he knew what was happening, he saw her khakis and underwear join the growing pile of clothes. Gulping in a breath, he turned his head to look at her, but she was behind him before he could turn around, pressing her bare breasts into his back. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and nimbly popped each button open, one by one, until his shirt hung open.

 

Lifting herself onto her knees behind him, she lowered her head to press her lips against his throat. She hovered over his throbbing pulse point, licking and kissing him while he let out soft gasps that only spurred her on. Becoming bolder, her hands soon roamed around his shoulders to slowly smooth his shirt away from his body. She felt him tense a little when she eased the material further down over his shoulders, every inch revealing a little more of the scars he carried with him. She knew he didn’t like to be on show like this, even if it was only with her. So before he could pull back from her and hide away, she reached around to his shoulders,to slowly turn him.

“I have them too,” she told him as she turned to offer him a view of her back. She had a criss cross of scars, every one of them given to her by a man who was supposed to love her above all else. “The big one...he gave me that when I wasn’t home when he called. He wanted to make sure I never missed a call again...but then he wouldn't let me out of the house after that.”

 

When he didn’t speak, she turned her head, trying to see him but he kept her still while he traced each mark with the tip of his finger. Lowering his head, he pressed his lips to each of her scars, kissing the puckered skin as he tried to erase the bad memories that came with them. When he pulled back, he turned her around to face him and kept his eyes on her as he shrugged the shirt all the way off, tossing it away from his body and onto the growing pile of their discarded clothes.

 

Carol eased herself towards him again, her nails scraping enticingly over the hair covering his chest. His eyes slammed shut when she moved her hands lower, skimming over his stomach before she moved even lower. He groaned when she stroked his straining member, only opening his eyes when she grasped one of his hands and guided him to her slickened core.

 

For a few seconds he kept perfectly still, not really knowing what she wanted him to do...but when she stroked his cock and rubbed her thumb over his glistening tip, his own fingers began to move. Lifting herself a little higher onto her knees, Carol gently eased him backwards until he was flat on his back. She knew he was still so nervous and worried that he would do this all wrong, but she wanted to make his first time, a first for both of them. When he shuddered against her, she knew he wasn’t going to last if she kept touching him, so she reluctantly pulled her hand away from his hardened erection.

 

“Shh…” she whispered when he gazed at her questioningly, only to gasp in a breath when he dipped his fingers to rub against her clit. She was close to becoming completely unravelled, her own sex starved body set to spiral her over the edge just as quickly. Her breath stuttered as she found herself caught in between the ecstasy, unable to stop her body from reacting to his touch. She had to stop before she lost herself in him, so she pulled on his hand, stilling his movements before she dipped her head to seal her lips to his.

 

Their lips clashed in a frenzied kiss, passion fuelling both of them as they fell into the moment. She could feel his groan vibrating through her body when she slid her tongue against his, and before either of them knew who made the first move, their lips parted with a loud smack and she was flat on her back with him looming above her.

 

“It’s okay,” she whispered as she lifted one of her hands to caress his cheek. “I want this…”

 

“I…” he started, unable to get the words out when she wrapped her fingers around his cock with her free hand. His heart hammered inside his chest when she shifted beneath him and guided him towards her opening. Daryl looked down at her in complete awe when he slowly entered her body, easing himself into her until it all became too much and he slammed his eyes closed.

 

Carol lifted her legs, the movement pulling him in deeper. He shuddered above her as he lowered his forehead onto her shoulder before he started to move. His thrusts started out slow, his breath stuttered and hissing through his lips...but the more he moved, the more confident he became, until he was thrusting into her, slamming his hips against hers until he lost himself completely in her.

 

Carol moved with him, matching his thrusts with her own, until she could feel the heat of her growing orgasm spiralling within her. He grunted above her, his mouth latching onto her throat as he sucked on her skin, totally lost in the feel of her body around him. He gasped in a breath when he felt her orgasm hit, and her walls pulsated around him, sending shockwaves throughout his body. The coil of heat surged through him, bringing white hot heat through his cock as his own release burst through him. His soft cry filled the room when he erupted, riding out his own orgasm with her until he couldn’t seem to hold his weight any longer. Collapsing against her, he panted heavily into the curve of her shoulder. He felt completely boneless and ecstatic all in the same moment, and so completely in love with her that he didn’t even know where to start.

 

Carol skimmed her fingertips over his shoulders, tracing circles over his sensitive skin. She had never felt completely sated, or completely adored before in her life. This man may have given her his virginity, but he had also given her so much more.

 

“Are you okay?” she whispered, when he seemed to be unable to move.

 

“‘M...that was…”

 

“I know,” she chuckled softly as he lifted his head to look down at her with wet, adoring eyes.

 

“Never knew it could be like that,” he whispered, his lips peppering small kisses over her cheek before he lifted his head to look down at her again. “I...I never…"

 

“Me neither,” she told him with a wide smile as she wrapped her arms around him to pull him in even closer. “Never felt so good before.”

 

“So...ya wanna do it again?” he chuckled, nuzzling her nose with his. “With me, I mean.”

 

“Only with you Pookie,” she beamed. “Always, only with you.”

 

“So...I guess we should sleep some?” he asked, even though he could already feel his cock twitch inside her heated core.

 

“Mmm…” she hummed, lifting her lips to kiss the underside of his chin. “Still early...we could…”

 

Her words were lost when he kissed her again, taking away anything she was going to say...and as the night wore on and the hours slipped by, Daryl had learned how to make her come apart beneath his touch. What had started out to be a fake relationship had turned into something that could no longer be denied...this was love…

 

END


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